End Of Summer Confession
by Androclez
Summary: After spending an unforgettable summer together, will Ben and Gwen take a chance on love before parting ways? -- An alternate take on the Ben 10 series finale, set during the “Goodbye And Good Riddance” period. -- Oneshot BenxGwen... sort of.


End Of Summer Confession  
by Androclez

Summer has drawn to conclusion for the Tennyson trio, and soon it will be time for Ben and Gwen to head back to school. It had been an unforgettable summer full of adventure, intrigue, and excitement. All three of the heroic travelers had gotten to know themselves and each other much more deeply. Ben was still hyped up at the wonder of it all, but Grandpa Max had instructed him not to reveal his superpowers or alien exploits to anyone — even his parents.

At this time their trusty RV, the Rustbucket, was pulling up next to Ben's home in Bellwood as they prepared to go their separate ways. They all exited the RV to drop Ben off as Grandpa Max offered a few parting words.

* * *

"I want you to know, this summer may not have turned out the way I planned, but I wouldn't have changed a single second of it," said Max.

"Me neither Grandpa. Thanks," said Ben, as they hugged.

"Thank _you_. You gave this old Plumber new life. It was an honor fighting side by side with you, Benjamin Tennyson," said Grandpa Max.

"You weren't so bad yourself," said Ben.

_Suddenly Ben was tackled to the ground, but it was only their family dog welcoming him back home. His parents followed right behind._

"Ben!" his mom called out to him, happily, as she rushed to hug and kiss him. His dad then hugged him as well, before turning to speak to his own dad.

"Hey... dad," Carl awkwardly greeted Max.

"Son, good to see you," said Max.

"Hey, Uncle Carl, Aunt Sandra!" Gwen chirped enthusiastically as she ran to hug them both.

"Hi Gwen," said Sandra.  
"Now, I know you and Ben have had your differences, but I hope his personality grew on you this summer."

"I suppose one or two of them weren't all that disgusting," Gwen smirked as she looked back at Ben.

_Ben's parents looked at one another curiously, confused by this inside joke, but they shrugged it off._

"Got a new job, dad — city engineer," Carl proudly announced.

"That's great," Max replied, lukewarmly.

"Want to come in?" Carl offered.

"Well, I'd like to, but I promised Frank and Lily I'd have Gwen home hours ago," said Max.  
"And you remember what I told you," he reminded Ben.

"Did he share some of his famous plumber wisdom with you, Ben?" his dad asked.

"Uh... how do you –" Ben stammered.

"Your Grandpa never failed to relate everything to a socket wrench or a pipe," Carl continued.  
"There was always a plumbing emergency somewhere in the world to deal with," he chuckled curiously.

"Is that what you used to tell him?" Ben asked his Grandpa, indignantly.  
"Now that's just a damn shame, man."

"Huh? What do you mean, Ben?" his dad asked.

"Nevermind," said Grandpa Max, frantically.  
"I'd better get the old Rustbucket fired up. Don't be long Gwen."

_Grandpa Max hopped into the RV._

_Carl and Sandra just leaned together glumly at Max's reserved, distant nature, and went back inside the house. Now that they were alone, Ben and Gwen took a moment to say their own parting words._

"So," Ben began.  
"I guess I'll..."

"Smell ya around!" they each said at once.

"I'd say I'd miss you," said Gwen,  
"but..."

"I wouldn't want to lie!" they said in unison, once again.

_They each smiled warmly at one another, belying their words._

"Aw, come on! You know you're gonna miss having me around," said Ben.  
"I mean, your life has to be majorly dull without me."

"You mean without your gross jokes, rude pranks, and incompetent screw-ups?" scoffed Gwen.  
"I think I'll manage on my own somehow," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, how 'bout paying some props to the guy who saves the entire galaxy every other day? You better recognize!" said Ben.

_Gwen couldn't help but smile at Ben's boisterous levity._

"Okay, okay. I guess you're not all bad," Gwen giggled.  
"After all, I can't count the times when you've saved my neck, not to mention the whole world."

"Well, well... finally the respect I deserve," Ben chuckled.

"Of course you couldn't have done it without _me_ at your side," Gwen quipped.

"Meh... I guess we do make a good team," Ben admitted nonchalantly.  
"It's mostly me of course, but you're a decent sidekick when you're not cramping my style," he grinned.

"Yeah sure," said Gwen, rolling her eyes.  
"But in all seriousness though Ben, I know we've fought sometimes but I'm really glad I could spend this time with you over the summer."

"Don't go getting all mushy on me now," said Ben, as he looked down to his feet and scratched the back of his head bashfully.

"No, I mean it," said Gwen.  
"Even though there are times when I just don't know what to do with you, the truth is that I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Gwen..." he softly uttered her name, at a loss for words.

_An awkward pause of silence passed between them as they both started blushing. They leaned in closer to one another and then, softly..._

(smack)  
_Ben smooched her right on the lips, hard and deeply._

_As Ben vigorously held the embrace of their lips, he heard a sound come from Gwen like a muffled moan growing increasingly sharper and... aggravated??_

"Mmm! Mmnnngghh!! Ack!"  
_Gwen forcefully pushed Ben away from herself._

"Ben, what the heck?!" she angrily protested.

"Wha- whadya mean?" asked a stupefied Ben.

"What do I _**mean**_?!" repeated Gwen, contemptuously.  
"You just kissed me, you weirdo!!"

_Gwen started spitting on the ground in disgust and wiping her mouth off.  
_"Ptooey! Ew! Yuck! How gross!" she squealed.

"But I... I thought you cared for me!" Ben replied.

"Yeah, as a _**cousin**_ you dweeb!" she growled.  
"What is wrong with you?!"

"Waitaminute, I'm gettin' mixed signals here," said Ben.  
"What was all that about how you don't know what you'd do without me, just now?"

"I was just trying to be nice and valuing you as a teammate and all that. I didn't think you'd go all pervy on me, you pervert!" said Gwen.

"Yeah but, but, but..." Ben stammered in frustration.  
"Arrggh! Confound it woman! We slow danced together that night before Cousin Joel and Camille's wedding! I mean _come on_!"

"That does it!" said Gwen, as she took out her cell phone.  
"I'ma tell momma on you, Ben Tennyson!"

"Wait! No! You can't!" Ben shouted, as he thrust his hand toward Gwen's phone.

_She quickly jerked away from him._

"Stay away from me you creep!" she cried as she ran towards the house.

_That's when Ben's parents stepped outside to see what all the commotion was about._

"What's going on out here?" asked Sandra.

"It's nothing!" said Ben, in a panic.

"Nothing except for the fact that BEN JUST SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ME!" said Gwen, yelling the last part into the phone.

"What in blazes?!" Carl shouted in astonishment.

"Uh oh," said Grandpa Max, as he stuck his head out the RV.

"What kind of a bad influence have you been teaching him on this twisted little road trip of yours?!" Carl demanded.

"Hey, **_I_** wasn't the one who tried to freak my own cousin!" said Max.

"Grandpa!" Ben gasped in horror, feeling betrayed.  
"I didn't try to "freak" anybody! Sheesh!"

"All I'm saying is, don't go trynna blame me for everything like you always do," said Max, addressing Carl.

"I'm afraid he's right," said Sandra, hanging her head down.  
"Ben is responsible for his own actions. We're so disappointed in you Ben."

"Well **_I'm_** not the one who abandoned his family so he could lead a double life, hunting aliens across the globe!" said Ben, looking daggers at Grandpa Max.

_A collective gasp could be heard from everyone present, including Gwen's parents over her speakerphone._

"Is this actually true?!" demanded Carl.

"What do you think all those long trips away from home on "plumbing" emergencies were really all about?" asked Ben.  
"Even this watch I'm wearing is actually alien technology. Look!" he said, as he slammed his palm down on the Omnitrix.

Skreeeeee! Whoosh!  
_Suddenly Ben's body stretched and contorted as he transformed into the vile looking Stinkfly, and the sight of it was just too much for Ben's mom._

"Oh dear, my baby is an alien monster!" she cried, as she fainted.

"What?! I'm coming to get Gwen away from there right now!" Gwen's dad angrily shouted over the phone.  
"And you've got a lot of explaining to do, dad," he said to Max.

"We **will** be getting restraining orders!" Gwen's mom chimed in.

(click)  
_They hung up._

"You blew it Ben!" said Grandpa Max.  
"All this could have been avoided if you had just been able to keep your grubby paws off your cousin, and kept your yap shut like I told you to!"

"You tell him, Grandpa!" said Gwen.  
"The dweeb's gone too far this time."

"Oh spare me! I've had enough out of you too," said Max.  
"You're nothing but a little flirt anyway, you pint-sized hussy!"

_They continued yelling at each other like that for some time..._

* * *

Meanwhile, while they were all arguing, Vilgax was wrecking havoc upon their entire town, undeterred. And so, for Ben Tennyson, who didn't want the summer to end, he would soon find himself longing for the dull days of school which he had formerly dreaded, and wishing in vain that he had maintained the status quo. There are several ways a story can begin, just as there are several ways it can end. And for Ben Tennyson, this was one of those stories.

An End.


End file.
